Chapter 2 - The Unexpected Sleepover
Hermione clutched her nose as her eyes watered. Theo came over and sent a stunning charm at the guy that had punched Malfoy and told the rowdy group of men to take their friend somewhere else before any more trouble started. Theo clapped a hand on Malfoy's back and made him stand straight so that he could fix his nose. As soon as Theo was done, Hermione's pain stopped abruptly. She stood straight and looked in to Malfoy's eyes. He was staring back at her in shock. Could this be?
"What in the name of Merlin was that about?" Theo said.
"Not now, Theo!" Malfoy held up his hand, halting Theo.
Theo looked between the pair and walked away sensing that he wasn't to be a part of this conversation.
Hermione's eyes were wide as she watched Malfoy run his hands through his hair as he had a confused look on his face. Hermione watched his Adam's apple bob up and down twice as he gulped. "What the fuck?" He seemed to be talking to himself more than to her. Malfoy placed his hands on her shoulders and leant his head closer to hers. "When you were tortured, that night I felt like I was on the worse end of a Crucio but I didn't even put two and two together." He let go of her shoulders and ran his hands through his hair once more.
Hermione gulped, "on the 22nd of July, you were branded with the Dark Mark." She clutched her hand to her left arm remembering the searing pain. Tears sparkled in her eyes at the memory of the pain.
Malfoy nodded and rubbed his eyes. The gesture made him look much older than his young age. Hermione covered her mouth with her hands as she recalled the time she felt as if she'd been stabbed a hundred times towards the end of Sixth Year. "Sectumsempra," she whispered to herself. If she recalled correctly, she had not felt that pain as soon as Harry had cast it though, it had woken her up during the night.
Malfoy grabbed ahold of her hands, "Merlin, we're soulmates, Granger!"
Hermione's eyes grew impossibly larger as he said the words aloud. She snatched her hands from his and turned quickly towards her table, she grababed her bag, she turned on her feet and apparated away.
XXX
Draco tried to stop her from leaving but he didn't reach her in time. He downed his Firewhisky in one large gulp and stalked back to his table. He sat down and ignored all the questions and looks surrounding him. He placed his head in his hands and recalled all of the times that he had felt his soulmate. All the times he had felt her. There was the horrible pain in his chest at the end of Fifth Year. The battle in the Department of Mysteries? The same battle that had got his Father put in to Azkaban the first time. He remembered the burning sensations all over his body when he was at Malfoy Manor during what was supposed to be his Seventh Year. What could she have possibly been up to then? If he recalled correctly, she was on the run with Potter and Weasley.
Draco got back up and walked to the bar, he ordered two more shots of Firewhisky and proceeded to down them in quick succession. He turned to a tap on his shoulder, he looked down in to the eyes of Weaslette. "Where's Hermione?"
Draco rubbed his eyes and replied, "she apparated away." An idea struck him, "can you take me to her place? I need to speak with her."
The Weaslette's face grew suspicious, "why in the name of Merlin would I take you to her apartment?"
"Please?" Draco didn't want to give her the reason just yet.
"Did you upset her? Why would she just leave?" The fiery red-head was demanding.
Draco gripped on to his hair, tugging it in frustration, "look Weaslette, can you help me or not?"
Draco felt Potter's girlfriend assessing him, after a few moments she nodded her head. She quickly spoke to Potter, probably letting him know what she was about to do. Potter grabbed ahold of her hand and walked back over to Draco with her. Great, Draco thought, Potter's coming too.
Potter nodded at Draco, "what's going on Malfoy? I'm not letting you go to Hermione's apartment without an explanation."
Draco groaned in annoyance. He ground his teeth as he said, "I think I'm her soulmate."
Potter gasped but Weaslette showed no sign of hearing Draco. The red-head looked at him blankly for a long while before laughing out loud, right in his face, she clutched her stomach and bent over in her laughter. Tears streamed down her face, "you have got to be kidding me!"
Draco felt anger flare up inside of him at the girl before him. Potter hadn't taken the stupid look off of his face which only added to the anger. "Why is this so funny?"
"It's hilariously funny," the Weaslette calmed her laughter down to little giggles here and there, "because Harry, here," she smiled a wide smile at her boyfriend, "owes me one hundred galleons." She seriously looked crazy with how wide her smile had got. "In my Fifth Year we both bet on who Hermione's soulmate is. I bet on you and Harry bet on my brother. We were both just joking at the time." She let out another cackling laugh. "This is the best thing ever!"
Potter's lips lifted at the corners at his girlfriend's joy. "I'll give you the money when we get home, love."
"Stop this nonsense!" Draco snapped at them both. "Take me to her bloody apartment!"
Potter held out his arm which Draco grabbed on to only half reluctantly. With a loud crack and the sensation of a hook pulling him by the septum, Draco had been apparated away by Potter with female Weasley in tow. When Draco felt his feet on firm ground again, he looked around at the quiet London street, this was a fancy part of London where quite a few Witches and Wizards lived. Pansy lived in one of these apartment complexes, he was sure of it.
"Follow me, Malfoy." Potter said as he crossed the road towards the middle complex.
As Draco followed behind the annoying couple who had their arms wrapped around each other, he felt the Fire Whiskey sloshing around his body, everything seemed to look a little bit fuzzy and he knew he wasn't walking straight. He should've remembered that mixing alcohol with apparation wasn't the smartest of ideas. He took some deep breaths, trying to gain control of himself again. It would not do, arriving at Granger's place absolutely trashed.
Potter used his wand to open the front door to the apartment building. Hmm, he has wand access, Draco thought to himself, wonder what Weaslette thinks about that. Wizarding apartments were set with wand wards; this meant only two people per apartment could use their wand to gain access to the building as a whole.
"What's with the scowl, Malfoy?" Weaslette asked looking back at him.
"Doesn't it bother you that Potter here is Granger's second?" Malfoy taunted.
"Not at all. I suggested it." Weaslette's face shifted in to mockery, "why? Does it bother you, Mr Soulmate?" She gave him a smirk worthy of his own.
Draco let out a groan as he walked through the brightly lit corridor, "absolutely not."
Potter leaned against the wall beside the elevator as he waited for it to arrive. He was looking over Draco with an unreadable expression.
"What?" Draco snapped.
"What are you going to say to her?" Potter asked, a protective edge coming in to his voice.
Draco groaned again and rubbed his forehead. "I hadn't thought that far ahead," he whispered under his breath.
The elevator arrived and the three of them piled in to the small space. They finally got out of the cramped lift at the very top and Draco couldn't be more thankful for the open space, he let Potter and Weaslette walk three steps before him. Granger lived at the apartment at the very end of the corridor. Potter knocked a fist on the door three times and waited for her answer.
Granger opened the door, she was still dressed in her black dress and hadn't taken her heels off. In this light, Draco could see that she certainly looked attractive. Her hair hung in dainty curls rather than the lion's mane he remembered, she'd grown up quite a bit, her curves and chest had filled out, the dress only accentuating those, her lips looked full with the red lipstick she had on. Draco couldn't help but think that she looked utterly delectable.
"Harry James Potter! Why did you bring him here?" Her hands were on her hips which raised her dress up higher, revealing her olive-toned thighs. Draco resisted the urge to lick his lips.
"He wants to talk to you, 'Mione." Potter shrugged a little sheepishly.
"Yes, let your soulmate," Weaslette emphasised the word, "talk to you. We'll leave you both to it. See you tomorrow!" Weaslette pulled Potter's arm, dragging him away. He clearly didn't want to leave the pair alone though.
Granger sighed, she looked up in to his eyes quickly before saying, "come in then."
Draco walked in to her apartment and looked around. These apartments were big but it seemed as though every surface and area was filled. Mainly with books. Draco felt his mouth twist up in to a smile. Some things never change. The apartment was open-planned, they were stood in the living room, slash, dining room, slash, kitchen. A light cream coloured the walls but much of her furniture was variations of green. Very Slytherin, Draco thought.
"I like your place," he felt the words tumble out of his mouth.
"I doubt you're here for niceities, Malfoy. Would you like a drink? Merlin knows, I need one." Granger wasn't meeting his eyes and she was twisting her fingers together, obviously anxious.
"Yes please." Draco said as Granger led him to her living area, he sat down on a green, leather armchair as Granger busied herself pouring them both generous helpings of Fire Whiskey.
XXX
Draco Malfoy was in her apartment, sat on her favourite armchair, looking up at her as she made them both a stiff drink. Draco bloody Malfoy. Why had he come here? Hermione felt lost, how could it be possible that Malfoy could be her soulmate? They had nothing in common. They had always hated each other growing up.
Hermione handed Malfoy a tumbler with shaky hands, he accepted it with a sharp nod and downed it in one. He was predictably as nervous as her about the whole situation. Hermione used her wand to refill his glass.
"So...?" Hermione began.
"So... yeah... soulmates." Malfoy looked just as lost as she felt.
"Eloquently put." Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. Going back in to their usual taunting might help the tension a bit, no?
"This is fucking crazy!" Malfoy stood up and ran his hands through his hair. "This must be some kind of sick joke, don't you think? How did we become soulmates?"
Hermione raised her eyebrows in shock at his outburst but didn't say anything, letting him continue his rant.
"We are not compatible in the slightest; we spent all of our Hogwarts years being practically enemies, we never liked each other... How could this possibly be okay?"
Hermione shrugged, "I don't know."
"You're supposed to know. Brightest-Witch-Of-Our-Age!" Malfoy sat back down and hung his head in his hands.
They spent what felt like an hour sitting in silence, sipping their drinks every so often when in actuality it was only ten minutes. Malfoy broke the silence by asking, "what happened to you when you were on the run in Seventh Year? My body felt like it had burns all over it."
Hermione let out a soft giggle, "Gemino and Flagrante curse from Bellatrix's vault when we broke in to Gringott's." She let out another laugh and continued, "everything we touched kept multiplying and multiplying, we nearly drowned in a sea of burning gold."
"How is that funny?" Malfoy asked with a worried expression on his face. He looked as if he was questioning her sanity.
"We were sometimes so unprepared when we were younger no matter how much I planned, it's funny to think that we actually succeeded that day in getting what we wanted."
"What was it you wanted from Bella's vault?" Malfoy asked.
Hermione bit her lip, not many people knew about the Horcrux's. Herself, Harry and Ron had decided it was best with not too many people knowing, in case the wrong people got any ideas. Ginny and Lavender now knew as the boys had told their significant others. Neville knew as Harry felt it best to explain everything to him as he was so important in Voldemort's defeat. Hermione hadn't told a soul though.
"Do you know what a Horcrux is?" Hermione asked him.
Malfoy nodded at her with eyes wide, she nodded at him confirming that a Horcrux was indeed what they were after.
Hermione changed the subject, "why do you get so many aches and pains? My joints sometimes feel like they're on fire." Hermione watched Malfoy's face go pale, his lips going tight. "You don't have to tell me. I was just curious."
Malfoy coughed, "it's residual effects from being put under the Cruciatus curse too many times."
Hermione felt her eyes go wide but she said no more on the matter, understanding that this wasn't something he wished to think about. She couldn't help but wonder though... who did that to him so often that he still suffered because of it?
The pair spent the next couple of hours asking about different pains they had experienced over the years, drinking more than Hermione had ever drunk in her whole entire life. Before long, Hermione felt herself drifting in and out of conciousness, it was definitely time to go to bed. She stood up and felt the room spinning. She heard a shuffle to her right and felt two arms wrap around her gently.
"Woah there, Granger. Which way is your bedroom?"
She heard herself slur on the words 'that way' before the arms picked her up bridal-style and carried her to her cosy, squashy bed. She felt the arms wrap a fluffy blanket around her before everything was black. She'd fallen asleep faster than you could say soulmate.
XXX
Draco awoke to the loud bang of Granger's front door slamming shut. He rubbed his eyes as his head thumped away at him. He really had too much to drink last night. He looked around the apartment in search of the time, it was 8:01am. Granger must have left for work. After tucking her up in bed last night like the gentlemen he was, he himself felt quite sloshed and decided that her sofa looked rather comfortable. He literally fell on to it and drifted off in to a dreamless sleep.
His eyes were roving around the room until they landed on a small potion bottle and a note on the coffee table before him. He picked up the letter, admiring the tidy script.
Malfoy,
Here is a hang-over potion in case you need it as much as I did this morning.
Floo powder is on the mantel.
Hermione.
Draco felt a part of himself warm at her consideration as he downed the potion in one go. The effects were instantaneous; he could feel the headache and nausea lift off of him as if he were taking off his cloak. Draco turned over the parchment to see a hasty scrawl as if she had written the words just before escaping her apartment this morning.
Sorry about last night.
Was she sorry for the soulmate thing? Or possibly her drunken behaviour? Draco let out a low chuckle as he recalled the events of the previous evening.
XXX
"It's Draco Malfoy! We have to talk about it!" Ginny shrilled in to Hermione's ear drums.
For the first time since Hermione had opened her book store, Ginny had beat her to work. She had been standing outside jumping on the balls of her feet in excitement with a wide smile as Hermione approached.
Hermione was busying herself by making room on the best seller shelves for a new delivery. She had been trying her best to not talk about Malfoy for the last hour but Ginny was nothing if not persistant.
"Gin, we do not need to talk about it right now. I just want to get on with work."
"No! You need to give me details right this instant! What happened after we left your apartment last night?" Ginny still hadn't taken the stupid grin off of her face.
"We talked, asked questions, answered them. We drank some Firewhisky. Then we slept." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Hold up!" Ginny rushed over to Hermione and gripped her shoulders. "You had drop-dead-gorgeous-Draco-bloody-Malfoy who is Witch Weekly's Most-Eligible Bachelor sleep in your freaking apartment!?"
"Yes?" Hermione shrugged, not seeing the big deal.
"You're so lucky!" Ginny fell in to a chair dramatically. "What I'd give!"
"Hey, what about Harry!?" Hermione asked none too kindly.
Ginny waved her hands dismissing Hermione's tone, "I love Harry of course but damn, let a girl fantasise."
"I am not listening to you, Gin!" Hermione stuck her fingers in her ears as she walked to the back office to grab a large coffee.
As Hermione busied herself making the both of them their usual drinks, Ginny peered her head through the office door. "Are you going to see him again?"
"I'd hardly call last night a date, Gin, so please don't make it seem like so. I left home before he even woke up. I doubt I'll be seeing him any time soon." Hermione shrugged her shoulders.
"I wouldn't be so sure. He knows you're his soulmate now. How could he ever resist?" Ginny wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Hermione let out a bark of unattractive laughter at Ginny's childishness.